The present invention relates to the monitoring of a computer system, and more particularly to the monitoring of a computer system by a platform management subsystem.
Some computer systems, particularly servers and high-end workstations, include a platform management subsystem that monitors the computer system and indicates when it is functioning outside a specified operating range. A conventional platform management subsystem includes a microcontroller that compares a sensor measurement to an associated threshold stored in a non-volatile storage. If the sensor measurement is outside the operating range defined by the threshold, this event is logged by the microcontroller in the non-volatile storage. The logged event can then be used by the platform management subsystem (or by other components of the computer system) to determine whether the computer system is operating abnormally so that corrective action can be taken. For example, a platform management subsystem might include a voltage sensor to monitor the output voltage of a power supply.
In a conventional platform management subsystem, the thresholds are set according to the manufacturer""s specifications, plus an additional range to compensate for inaccuracies introduced by the monitoring circuitry and prevent false events. For example, a five-volt power supply is typically specified to have an output voltage of 5.0 +/xe2x88x925%. Assuming that the monitoring subsystem is set with an additional range of 3%, the thresholds would be set at 4.6 and 5.4 volts (5.0 +/xe2x88x928%). If the voltage exceeded the upper threshold of 5.4 volts, or fell below the lower threshold of 4.6 volts, the controller would generate an alert message indicating that the power supply is not operating properly.
Platform management subsystems are described by the following documents: Intelligent Platform Management Interface Specification, v1.0, Intel Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, NEC Corporation, and Dell Computer Corporation (Sep. 16, 1998); Intelligent Platform Management Bus Communications Protocol Specification v1.0, Intel Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, NEC Corporation, and Dell Computer Corporation (1998); IPMB v1.0 Address Allocation, Intel Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, NEC Corporation and Dell Computer Corporation (1998); Platform Management FRU Information Storage Definition v1.0, Intel Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, NEC Corporation, and Dell Computer Corporation (1998); Intelligent Chassis Management Bus Bridge Specification v0.9, Intel Corporation (1997); System Management BIOS Specification, Version 2.3, American Megatrends, Inc., Award Software International, Inc., Dell Computer Corporation, Intel Corporation, Phoenix Technologies Ltd., SystemSoft Corporation (1998); The I2C Bus And How To Use It, Philips Semiconductors (1995); and Network PC System Design Guidelines, Version 1.0b, Compaq Computer Corporation, Dell Computer Corporation, Hewlett Packard Company, Intel Corporation, and Microsoft Corporation (1997).
In general, the invention is directed to a computer monitoring system. The computer monitoring system has a sensor, a non-volatile storage, and a controller. The sensor measures a parameter of a computer, and the non-volatile storage holds a threshold representing a limit for the parameter. The controller is configured to determine a normal operating range for the parameter and modify the threshold to match the limit of the normal operating range more closely.
Advantages of the invention may include one or more of the following. The platform management subsystem may be more sensitive to unusual behavior of the computer system, thereby providing more accurate failure prediction. The platform management subsystem can automatically adapt to the normal operating conditions of an individual computer system, without requiring calibration during production.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, including the drawings and the claims.